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CNN Live Today

Traficant Guilty of Ethics Violations

Aired July 18, 2002 - 12:20   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The always colorful, always controversial Congressman Jim Traficant has been convicted again, this time by a group of his peers. The House panel has found Traficant guilty of ethics violations.

With more on today's decision, our Bob Franken live from Washington. Bob...

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra...

PHILLIPS: ... I've got to tell you, watching him, you know, it is quite interesting. Am I allowed to say humorous?

FRANKEN: Well, I think he would probably appreciate that, although as I think we all know, this is very serious. He has been not only found guilty of congressional violations, House violations, but also criminally. He has been found guilty of bribery, tax evasion and fraud, and is expected to be sentenced on July 30, will probably get seven, maybe more than that time in prison.

But he is still fighting to stay in Congress, and this morning when the Ethics Committee subcommittee made its ruling, it was a slam- dunk, eight of the nine charges against him were true. They will now meet this afternoon to decide whether to come up with a recommendation of expulsion, expulsion from the House of Representatives. If that occurs, Jim Traficant will be only the second congressman since the Civil War to be expelled from the House of Representatives.

After the ruling was made this morning, Jim Traficant proved once again that he is not a man of nuance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JAMES TRAFICANT (D), OHIO: I will take with me a file, a chisel, a knife. I'll try and get some major explosives, try and fight my way out. Then when I get out, I will grab a sword like Maximus Meridius Dimidius (ph), and as a Gladiator, I will stab people in the crotch.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: He, of course, is referring to the Russell Crowe character in the movie, and of course, I am sure you have noticed, Kyra, the uncanny resemblance between Jim Traficant and Russell Crowe. Now, as for the penalties that he faces, of course, we have talked about the fact that he could be expelled from the House of Representatives. There's also the possibility of censure, which would be where he would stand in the well and be chastised. There is a reprimand, which is a letter. And he could also face a fine.

Now, the rules, 25E of the House Ethics Rules, says that reprimand is appropriate for serious violations, censure is appropriate for more serious violations, and expulsion of a member or dismissal of an officer or an employee is appropriate for the most serious violations. And Traficant is saying that he expects, in fact, to have to fight expulsion on the Floor of the House of Representatives, and he says, if he does so, he will wear a denim suit and do what he says will be a Michael Jackson moon walk across the House Floor, something to look forward to.

PHILLIPS: Bob, as you say with a straight face, Russell Crowe! Oh, my, gosh, please. Has he always been this way? I just have to think about his constituents and how he even became a part of the political system.

FRANKEN: Well, as a matter of fact, it's a very interesting story. Has he always been this way? Yes, only more so on many, many occasions. The one-minute speeches that he would make almost every day on the House Floor were considered some of the highlights or lowlights of the day.

But he, in the early '80s, represented himself in another trial, a racketeering trial, and was able to beat that when he became the sheriff. He was the sheriff. He became very popular in the economically-depressed Youngstown area by, as sheriff, refusing to foreclose on the homes of all of the steelworkers who were being put out of work, and that got him into Congress, where he has had quite the career, a career that House members are considering ending.

PHILLIPS: Well, I'll bet he does quite a moon walk, too. Bob Franken in Washington -- thanks, Bob.

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